FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is inhalers. More specifically, the invention relates to inhalers for delivering drugs in a solid finely divided dry powder or fluid form.
Inhalers are used to deliver drugs into a patient's lungs. Typically, an inhaler contains or provides a mixture of drugs and air or propellants. The mixture is delivered via the patient inhaling from a mouthpiece on the inhaler, for treatment of various conditions, for example, bronchial asthma. However, delivery of drugs via inhalation can be used for many other treatments, including those unrelated to lung condition.
One well known inhaler, the Diskhaler, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,432, uses individual drug doses sealed within blisters on a blister disk. The disk is advanced by a knob with each successive dose. However, while the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,432 has met with varying degrees of success, disadvantages remain in indexing or advancing a blister disk within an inhaler, with opening the blisters to access the drug contents, with reliably providing intended dosages, and in other areas.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved inhaler.